I peered around and saw nothing butvarious wildlife scenes. A desert landscape to my left, forest off to my right,snowy tundra behind me. What the hell was this place? Just ahead I saw Nahuelducking into a tall, green, hedged labyrinth. A glowing light was emanating fromthe center. He looked back at me and I was gutted to see black tears streakingdown his face. Then he simply turned his back and walked inside of the tallhedge opening and disappeared.
What the hell? Was I in some weird partof Nahuel’s psyche where he cried black tears? How could I get out?
“Nahuel! Wait!” I shouted and took offafter him. The last thing I wanted was to be left alone in here. My bare feetwere pounding on the crushed rocks as I made my way into the labyrinth and Itried not to wince at the pain. The fact I felt pain here made me nervous. Thesecond I entered the two tall bushes, I was hit with a familiar smell. Sprucetrees, earth, and a touch of lavender. It smelled like the woods around myMount Hood home. I had barely entered the labyrinth before I ground to a halt. Ihad hit a wall and had to choose left or right. Chills broke out onto my armsas I thought about the choice. It felt like a big decision, which was stupidbecause I was just trying to find Nahuel. I closed my eyes, letting myawareness reach out as Nahuel had been teaching me. There. I felt the slightestbit of increased awareness to my right. It was lighter and fuller of all thatis good. I decided to take that path.
I started heading down the path to theright at a brisk walk when suddenly a white mist flowed down the green hedgewalls of the labyrinth. I froze, unsure of what to do. Was this the same mistthat I associated with magic? This was just a vision, right? Could magic affectme here? My thoughts were churning in anxiety.
A deep rhythmic drum began to beat wildlyat what I assumed was the center of the labyrinth. The sound was so familiar itmade relief crash over me and dissolve my panic. The drums were Nahuel’swarriors. They were my protection and I knew that I needed to reach them. Reachthe drums and find Nahuel. Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the mist.
“Anya, my baby! My sweet baby!” Mymother’s distraught voice echoed around me. The distress in her tone made alump form in my throat.
“Mom!” I called back. Why was she soupset? I spun around searching for anything, any sign of her here as the mistcrept up my legs, but I couldn’t see her.
“NOOO!” my father roared and I heard thetearing of clothes, of breaking bones and shifting skin. Something awful washappening to my parents and I couldn’t see them! I couldn’t see anything, Icould only hear and what I was hearing wasn’t good. It sounded … it soundedlike …
“Dad! I’m okay!” I shouted.
The next voice gutted me and I fell to myknees as the mist covered me completely. It was a scream from Gavin that raisedthe hairs on my arms.
“Why! Why did she go off on her own?”Gavin cried out and tears streamed down my cheeks as I lay collapsed on thefloor of the labyrinth. This was my death; I was hearing the aftermath of myown death. I was sure of it and the realization made every hair on my body standup.
“You saw this, didn’t you!” The anger inJaxon’s voice made me sick to my stomach. He sounded so lost, so full of grief.
“The future can always change,” my mother’ssmall voice replied.
I couldn’t take it anymore.Rising from the mist, cheeks wet with tears, I ran. I ran blindly through thelabyrinth; left, right, another right, a left. Anything to escape my family’sgrieving voices. To escape the mist that held my death. I crashed through thelabyrinth, heart pounding, sobs ripping from my throat until finally I neededto rest.
The mist was gone now, taking the voiceswith it and for that I was grateful. I stood there for a moment catching mybreath, trying to figure a way out of this. Nahuel would be at the center withthe drums, I was sure of it, but I didn’t want to keep going. Not if futurevisions of my death were going to be played for me. But I couldn’t stop,wouldn’t give up. Turning the next corner, I skidded to a halt as I looked uponthe spectral form of Lina. She was wearing her traditional native garb and washolding a smoking sage bundle. Her translucent figure was so see-through Icould see the green leafy hedge just behind her. Knowing what I knew, that shewas dead or frozen in time or whatever Nahuel said, made the tears return to myeyes.
“Lina,” I whispered and her face brokeout into a huge smile.
“Hello, sister.” Her voice floated overto me and it brought with it such a sorrow that she was gone, that this may bemy last chance to talk to her.
I stepped closer to her, afraid yetunable to stay away. “What am I doing here?” I asked her.
She smiled weakly. “I am the anchor formy people, the keeper of their magic. One of twelve anchors around the world.”
I nodded. “Nahuel told me.”
Her face suddenly tightened into a sneer.“Mukesh is trying to weaken the magic of our race so he can end the shaman lineforever and rise up into great power. You mustn’t let that happen.”
My mouth had popped open somewhere duringher speech and now I gave an exasperation of disbelief. “How can I do anythingabout it?”
Lina stepped closer to me now and thesage smoke enveloped me. “From the moment I laid eyes on you I knew you hadwhat it takes to be an anchor. To anchor the magic to the earth for our people.Spirit showed me.”
I felt dizzy at her words. “No offense,but I’m not a part of your people. I can’t do this.” I mean I was half EastIndian so I wasn’t a complete white girl but there wasn’t a drop of NativeAmerican blood in me. Why would Spirit choose me for such a task?
Lina’s brow creased. “You think thatmatters? You think Earth Mother, Sky Father, and the Great Spirit care of colorand blood?” Now she gave me one of her typical Lina sarcastic laughs. Herquestion formed a lump in my throat for some reason.
“But Nahuel said your cousin is next inline.” My voice trembled.
Lina nodded. “When Rayla turns thirteenin two winters, she will come of age and you will pass this gift to her.”
Two winters. My mind was quicklycalculating. That was like a year and a half away!
I realized my body was slightly trembling.I didn’t want any more responsibility and I’d just heard my parents back therein the mist crying over my dead body, so … no thank you.
“I can’t. Find someone else, anothercousin.” I shook my head, determined not to take on this task.
